E ff ective Written Communication Instructor: Heather Plett www . - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

E ff ective Written Communication Instructor: Heather Plett www . heatherplett . com ( see “ student link ” at bottom for notes ) Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

Welcome! • Name? • Favourite kind of writing / reading? • A little about yourself and why you ’ re here , studying PR? Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

Sunday, 11 November, 12

Class material • All class material can be found at: • www . heatherplett . com • click on “ student link ” at the bottom right • click on “ E ff ective Written Communication ” • password: Winnipeg Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

Community Agreements • We will treat each other respectfully and with kindness . • We will o ff er constructive criticism only when it is asked for or appropriate . • We will do our best to honour each other by showing up on time and not being disruptive . • We will honour our own wisdom and be willing to share it when appropriate . • We will honour each other ’ s wisdom and welcome it when appropriate . • We will be self - aware and hold ourselves accountable . Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

About this class • Practice is important • You ’ ll be stretching some writing muscles that might not seem directly connected to business communication • Some of the exercises are about exploring creative communication & fi nding your personal voice • Your e ff ort to improve your writing is more important than marks • Discussion is welcome , but confrontation or arguing to prove yourself is not Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

Stretching Exercise • Where are you from? Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

Where I ’ m From ( by George Ella Lyon ) I am from clothespins , from Clorox and carbon - tetrachloride . I am from the dirt under the back porch . ( Black , glistening , it tasted like beets .) I am from the forsythia bush the Dutch elm whose long - gone limbs I remember as if they were my own . I ’ m from fudge and eyeglasses , from Imogene and Alafair . I ’ m from the know - it - alls and the pass - it - ons , from Perk up! and Pipe down! I ’ m from He restoreth my soul with a cottonball lamb and ten verses I can say myself . I ’ m from Artemus and Billie ’ s Branch , fried corn and strong co ff ee . From the fi nger my grandfather lost to the auger , the eye my father shut to keep his sight . Under my bed was a dress box spilling old pictures , a si f of lost faces to dri f beneath my dreams . I am from those moments -- snapped before I budded -- leaf - fall from the family tree . http://www.georgeellalyon.com/audio/where.mp3 Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

• I am from _______ (specific ordinary item), from _______ (product name) and _______. • I am from the _______ (home description... adjective, adjective, sensory detail). • I am from the _______ (plant, flower, natural item), the _______ (plant, flower, natural detail) • I am from _______ (family tradition) and _______ (family trait), from _______ (name of family member) and _______ (another family name) and _______ (family name). • I am from the _______ (description of family tendency) and _______ (another one). • From _______ (something you were told as a child) and _______ (another). • I am from (representation of religion, or lack of it). Further description. • I'm from _______ (place of birth and family ancestry), _______ (two food items representing your family). • From the _______ (specific family story about a specific person and detail), the _______ (another detail, and the _______ (another detail about another family member). • I am from _______ (location of family pictures, mementos, archives and several more lines indicating their worth). Sunday, 11 November, 12

SCHEDULE LECTURE TOPICS PRE-READING  Introductions November 12, 2012 Writing activities and sections for  Overview of Course reading will be assigned from the  Analyzing the purpose for writing course manual each week.  Codifying the message  The writing process  Effective Writing Strategies  Writing emails  Effective Writing Strategies (cont’d) November 19, 2012  Anticipating the audience  Adapting to the task and audience  Writing and revising  Choosing the appropriate style  Concrete/Abstract  Passive/active  Avoiding surplus words  Communicating positive & negative November 26, 2012 messages  Direct & indirect message  Communicating with narrative  Structuring questions December 3, 2012  Responding to questions  Apologies  Writing persuasively  Effective sales messages December 10, 2012  Choosing words carefully  Writing for the web  Identifying your audience  Writing proposals January 7, 2013  Effective emails, letters, memos, etc.  Writing for social media  Writing to impact change January 14, 2013  Defining your voice  Final Exam  Exam Review January 21, 2013  Presentation of final assignment Sunday, 11 November, 12

Assignments VALUE ITEM OF WORK DUE DATE 10 marks Effective email November 26, 2012 15 marks Biography - effective sentences & paragraphs December 10, 2012 15 marks Letter January 7, 2013 20 marks Writing to impact change presentation January 21, 2013 30 marks In-class Exam January 14, 2013 10 marks Class Participation - Based on class participation & attendance Not applicable Sunday, 11 November, 12

Some thoughts on writing & communication Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

No matter where you work , communication is vital to your success . Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

E ff ective communication builds trust , which is essential in every line of business . Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

Even as technology changes , the basic requirements of e ff ective communication do not change . Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

Your performance will be judged on how well you communicate . Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

With technology becoming so central to the way we work , e ff ective written communication is even more important . Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

At the core , almost all communication involves some elements of storytelling . Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

We are all communicating every day in some form or another , even when we don ’ t realize it . Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

Relationships are not possible without communication . Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

Communication is a two - way street . Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

Good writing emerges from a lot of practice , practice , and more practice . Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

A creative edge & personal voice are o f en more valuable than technical perfection . Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

Sunday, 11 November, 12

Sunday, 11 November, 12

Sunday, 11 November, 12

Sunday, 11 November, 12

Current Challenges for Business • ongoing development of new information technologies • the increasing global nature of business • growing diversity in the workplace & in types of workplaces Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12

Main Categories of Business Communication • internal - operational communication • external - operational communication • personal communication Heather Plett sharing stories , wisdom & courage www . heatherplett . com Sunday, 11 November, 12